Xinhua and your fourth and fifth aunts are playing inside. Come on, let's go inside and talk properly." Zhang Shuzhen led Chen Feng into the house.

"Auntie, I'm back. Did you miss me?" Chen Feng greeted Zhou Qinglan as soon as he entered the house.

"Auntie, is it a little boy in your belly? When will he be born?"

Chen Feng glanced at Zhou Qinglan's belly and asked with great concern.

"Hmm, you should have been born at the end of September. I reckon you should have been back in the provincial capital by then," Zhou Qinglan said with a smile, patting Chen Feng's head.

"Oh dear, I won't live to see my little brother born."

Chen Feng sighed, then turned around and greeted the Sheng Yunfang and Sheng Yunfei sisters on the north kang (heated brick bed). "Fourth Aunt, Fifth Aunt, I'm back! Did you miss me?"

As she spoke, she slipped off her shoes and climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), moving closer to Sheng Xinhua. "Xinhua, did you miss your brother? Do you still recognize him?"

Sheng Xinhua, who was playing on the kang (a heated brick bed), tilted his head and glanced at Chen Feng. "Brother?" the little guy asked, somewhat puzzled.

When Chen Feng left, Sheng Xinhua was just one year old. Half a year has passed, and Sheng Xinhua is still so young. How could she possibly remember Chen Feng?

"Yes, I'm your older brother, Brother Xiaofeng. Xinhua probably doesn't remember me. Come here, let your older brother give you a hug."

Chen Feng adored Sheng Xinhua, so he quickly hugged her and kissed her cheek hard.

Sheng Xinhua immediately laughed, turned around and kissed Chen Feng on the cheek, then burst into laughter.

Just then, the three Sheng brothers and Chen Ruiqing entered the house together.

Chen Ruiqing stepped forward and greeted Zhang Shuzhen. "Hello, Auntie. My son and I are here to bother you again."

Xiao Feng refused to stay in the provincial capital during his summer vacation, insisting that it was boring and that he wanted to go back to the forest farm.

He said he'd be spending his summer vacation at the forest farm, so he'd have to bother you for a while longer.

"Oh, Ruiqing, come sit down quickly." Zhang Shuzhen greeted Chen Ruiqing with a smile and invited him to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Look at what you're saying. Xiaofeng is like our own child. We'd love for him to come back and live with us. How is that a disturbance?"

"Let alone one summer vacation, we'd be happy to have him stay for ten or eight summer vacations."

As Zhang Shuzhen spoke, she beckoned Sheng Yunfang and Sheng Yunfei over, greeted Chen Ruiqing, and then sent her two daughters to boil water and make tea.

Chen Ruiqing didn't take off his shoes and got onto the kang (heated brick bed). He just sat on the edge of the kang and called out to Chen Feng towards the north side of the kang.

"Xiaofeng, stop playing with your little brother and take out the gifts you brought for everyone first."

"Oh, right, I also brought a lot of gifts. Xinhua, come on, let's find the gifts together."

As he spoke, Chen Feng carried all those bags to the north kang (heated brick bed) and rummaged through them one by one, searching for things.

"These are all things my mom and I bought while shopping. That's the good thing about the provincial capital; there are many places to buy things, and many good things too."

Chen Feng muttered to himself as he rummaged through the things.

Then, he rummaged through those pockets and found the gifts he had prepared for everyone in the Sheng family.

There were tin toys, a wind-up frog, and a convertible sports car bought for Sheng Xinhua, and floral dresses bought for the Sheng Yunfang and Sheng Yunfei sisters.

The notebooks bought for Sheng Xi'an and Sheng Xikang, the fountain pen bought for Sheng Xitai, the fabric bought for Zhang Shuzhen and Zhou Qinglan, and the belts bought for Sheng Liancheng and Sheng Xiping.

Anyway, everyone in the family thought of it, and everyone received a gift.

Chen Feng distributed the gifts to everyone one by one, saying, "Grandma, these are for you and Grandpa."

I didn't know how to choose either; my mom picked them out for me. She said the fabric was good, and Grandma would have a dress made for my second uncle to wear when he gets married.

Chen Feng placed a piece of dark maroon thin woolen fabric in Zhang Shuzhen's hand and jokingly said something.

"Oh dear, child, why are you being so formal? Why buy anything when you're already home?"

You're still young and don't earn money. Your parents work hard to earn money; how can you spend it like this?

Zhang Shuzhen picked up the fabric and immediately knew it was a good item, one that couldn't be found in local shops.

Looking at the pile of toys and clothes over there, which probably cost a hundred or two hundred yuan in total, he immediately said.

"Child, I appreciate your kindness, and I will also accept this gift."

"You can't do that anymore! If you keep spending money like this, Grandma won't let you come anymore."

Zhang Shuzhen understood the Chen family's good intentions, but spending money like this was unacceptable. Nobody's money grows on trees.

“Ruiqing, you heard that too? Next time Xiaofeng comes, you can’t let him buy anything again.”

When Xiaofeng comes to our house, he doesn't need to bring anything. He's our own child, so let's not bother with all this fancy formalities.

Zhang Shuzhen turned her head and said to Chen Ruiqing in a serious tone.

“I understand what you two are thinking. There’s really no need for our two families to act like this. Xiaofeng is getting older every year, and you’ll have more expenses to make in the future. You can’t be so generous.”

Chen Ruiqing smiled upon hearing this, "Okay, I'll listen to you, Auntie. I definitely won't do it like this again."

"Xiping, you chat with Ruiqing for a while. I'll go see what else we have in the kitchen. I'll make some good dishes for lunch, and you guys can have a drink with Ruiqing."

Zhang Shuzhen glanced at the wall. It was almost ten o'clock. She didn't have time to quilt the blankets now, so she simply rolled up the quilts she had already quilted and put away her needles and thread.

Then I put on my shoes, got out of bed, and went to the kitchen to prepare food.

"Oh dear, Auntie, don't prepare too much. Just a simple home-cooked meal will do."

Chen Ruiqing, worried that Zhang Shuzhen would prepare a large table of dishes, quickly gave her some instructions.

"Okay, don't worry," Zhang Shuzhen replied and went to get busy.

Zhou Qinglan then put on her shoes and got out of bed to help Zhang Shuzhen start a fire and cook.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!